In early October, I competed in the Bourbon Chase: a 200 Mile team relay across the state of Kentucky.  This event, one of the many “overnight relays” that have popped up in recent years, was an experience I will never forget.  Let me tell you about it.

The Gist

The widely adopted premise is to utilize a team of 6 or 12 runners to cover 36 segments that make up the total distance.  This allows for a team member to always be on the course while everyone else is resting up for his or her next turn.  For a twelve-person team, each runner will complete three segments totaling about 18 Miles (for a 200 Mile Race) and have somewhere around eight hours between runs.

Not surprisingly, this is known as the “overnight relay” because the teams literally begin on day one and run through the night to finish late on day two.  Starting times are staggered in order to have everyone arriving at the finish line party close to one another (because partying alone just isn’t as fun!).

The average team is on the road just under thirty hours, so expect to be living out of a van (down by the river?) for the duration.  Not surprisingly, by the morning of our second day, our “team mother” was yielding a hefty bottle of Febreeze and threatening to use it!

Why You Should Give it a Try

So, you might ask, where is the fun part?  Why would someone pay money to run that far, all while getting little to no sleep?  Well, simply put, this is a team building exercise like no other.  After running hundreds of races as an individual, it was quite refreshing to be contributing to a collective effort.  If you aren’t already close with your crew, you certainly will be after it is all over.  As many teams are, ours was a random collection of folks, and it was very enjoyable getting to know everyone.  Secondly, you can bet that the scenery will be well worth your troubles.  Most of these events are centered around a particular attraction or landscape.  Whether it is the Hood to Coast Relay, the Bourbon Chase, or the Blue Ridge Relay, you are guaranteed plenty of entertaining scenery.  And lastly, this is simply worth it for the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.  I was fortunate enough to complete our last leg, and that final sprint to the line was ten times cooler because the rest of my team joined in to run it with me (cramps and all).

If all of this sounds appealing, then here is what you need to do:

First of all, you have to find an event and gather up a team.  I would certainly recommend recruiting an alternate or two in case someone gets injured or backs out unexpectedly.  If it comes down to crunch time, and you are missing a few folks, most races will have a message board for incomplete groups.   The majority of people form 12-person teams, but some relays have an “ultra” 6-man option for the real diehards.

To prepare, you will need to train much like you would for a half-marathon (decent mileage, 4-5 times a week), but with more focus on frequency and recovery.  To get your body used to running several times per day, it will be beneficial to throw in a few multiple run days in the weeks leading up to the race.

Links

Visit Running Relays for more plenty of info and check out Coach Jenny‘s helpful Training Tips!

Happy Running!

Matt